Doyel: LeBron James, Cavs keep undressing Pacers in first quarter

Clifton Brown and J. Michael discuss how the Indiana Pacers lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of their playoff series.
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Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) calls timeout after a brief ball scramble with Indiana Pacers Myles Turner (33) and Thaddeus Young (21) during the second half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100.(Photo: Matt Kryger/IndyStar)Buy Photo

INDIANAPOLIS – The Cleveland Cavaliers wore their stupid suits to Bankers Life Fieldhouse again for Game 4, but the Indiana Pacers rolled onto the court with something even less sartorially splendid: another slow start.

It was the third consecutive game for this particular Pacers faux pas, and the second time they couldn’t quite overcome it, falling 104-100 to the Cavs as this 2018 NBA playoff series returns to Cleveland on Wednesday knotted at 2-2.

In Game 2, you surely remember, the Cavs – OK, LeBron James – rolled to a 16-1 lead, and the Pacers never quite recovered.

Before Game 3, you may remember, the Cavs showed up at Bankers Life in matching tailored sharkskin suits, a gift from LeBron to the rich and underachieving NBA roster that already has everything. It was a team-building exercise, or something. And maybe it worked? The Cavs scored the first five points of Game 3 and opened a 13-point lead in the first quarter, giving them a comfortable margin to work with until the fourth quarter, when Bojan Bogdanovic put on his Superman suit and took the game over. The Pacers won Game 3 as Bogdanovic scored 30 points, including 15 in about 6½ minutes of the fourth quarter.

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Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) calls timeout after a brief ball scramble with Indiana Pacers Myles Turner (33) and Thaddeus Young (21) during the second half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) wrestles for the ball with Cleveland Cavaliers forward Jeff Green (32) late in the second half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. Stephenson was called for a foul on the play. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) ties the ball up for a jump ball with Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) puts up a shot over Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) during the second half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers forward Thaddeus Young (21) takes the ball from Cleveland Cavaliers center Kevin Love (0) during the second half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo (4) and Cleveland Cavaliers guard JR Smith (5) fight over a loose ball during the first half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

A dejected Indiana Pacers Victor Oladipo (4) walks off the floor following their Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

A dejected Indiana Pacers Myles Turner (33) and Thaddeus Young (21) walk off the floor following their Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers head coach Nate McMillan draws up a play for his players in the final minutes of the second half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

A dejected Indiana Pacers Myles Turner (33) late in the second half of their Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives on Indiana Pacers forward Bojan Bogdanovic (44) during the second half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers fans cheer on their team during the second half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

The Indiana Pacers players argue a call with NBA official Pat Fraher during the second half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) blocks the shot by Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo (4) during the second half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Former Indianapolis Colt Robert Mathis cheers on the Indiana Pacers during the second half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives on Indiana Pacers forward Bojan Bogdanovic (44) during the second half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 104-100. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) defends against Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the first half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) celebrates after an assist and made three point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers forward Thaddeus Young (21) drives to the basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers guard Darren Collison (2) goes up and over Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) for a shot during the first half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers forward Thaddeus Young (21) drives to the rim against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jose Calderon (81) during the first half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo (4) fails to complete on a dunk attempt against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo (4) defends as Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) goes up for a shot during the first half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Cleveland Cavaliers center Kevin Love (0) steals a pass by the Indiana Pacers in the first half of game #4 of their NBA Eastern Conference playoff basketball game on Sunday April 222, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) gets an easy layup after spinning by Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) during the first half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) tries to block a shot by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jose Calderon (81) during the first half of Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday, April 22, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

And then, Game 4. The Cavs wore their team-building suits again, a new wardrobe for a new day, a "Men in Black" look – black jackets, slacks and tie; white Oxford – with a twist: The slacks were fashionably dorky-short, rising several inches above the Cavs’ ankles. They’re just showing us rubes from Indiana – as Cavs coach Tyronn Lue so helpfully pointed out to a fan– how to dress. When the fan heckled Lue about the clothes, he shot back: “It’s a new fashion. You wouldn’t know that. You live in Indiana.”

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue reacts on the sideline during the first half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, Sunday, April 22, 2018(Photo: Darron Cummings, AP)

Hey, he’s right. We’re still waiting for that Internext or Interneck thing to get here. Maybe when it does, we can keep up!

Why am I writing so much about a wardrobe so wonderfully stupid, and then a comment from the Cavs coach that was even dumber? Well, for one, it seems relevant to point out how utterly unlikeable the Cavaliers have become, whether it’s LeBron flopping like a fish or Kevin Love pouting like a punk or Ty Lue waxing sophisticatedly superior to us hicks from flyover country.

But also: It beats writing about the Pacers’ slow start. Sorry, their latest slow start. This trend has been so obvious and so maddening, it was the subject of the first, second and third topics of Pacers coach Nate McMillan in his pregame news conference. At one point he said the obvious – “We’re focusing on a better start,” he said. “The last two games we’ve gotten off to slow starts.” – and the follow-up was something along the lines of: What can you do, other than talk about it?

“Talk about it,” McMillan said, before listing the culprits: Turnovers and poor defense, but primarily turnovers leading to easy Cavs shots.

And then it happened again in Game 4. Turnovers. Poor defense. Easy Cavs shots. Victor Oladipo was committing three of the Pacers’ four turnovers in the first quarter, and LeBron James was operating in his comfort zone this series: as close to the rim as possible. James, who ranks among NBA postseason leaders with more than 12 points per game at the rim, scored nine of his 11 points at the rim in the first quarter. The Cavs led 21-13 at one point, and finished the quarter with a 30-24 edge on J.R. Smith’s 60-foot fling at the horn.

Before that, there was some stupid defense by the Pacers that contributed to the Cavs’ fast start. As superhuman as he’s been in this series, averaging 32.7 ppg, 11.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists entering Game 4, LeBron has been mortal from outside of point-blank range. He scored 23 of his 32 points Sunday in the first half on 8-for-11 shooting from the floor, but was 0-for-2 on 3-pointers because he’s not comfortable from long range. Not unless … this happens, with the Cavs already leading 19-13 in the first quarter:

LeBron, defended by Lance Stephenson, works a screen-and-roll with Tristan Thompson, defended by Domantas Sabonis. For whatever reason, both Pacers rolled with Thompson, leaving the best player on planet Earth alone with the ball, 20 feet from the basket. Only, LeBron didn’t want to shoot. Not unless he had to. He looked at his feet and pumped once. Sabonis crept toward him. LeBron pumped again. Sabonis crept closer. Another pump. Another creep. Fine, LeBron said, I’ll shoot it. And he made this one for a 21-13 edge, his only bucket beyond point-blank range until hitting a 16-footer with six minutes left.

Eventually the Cavs’ lead was 49-33, because they tend to expand their leads this series. But something else tends to happen:

The Pacers tend to come back.

Darren Collison, cold through three games – 10-for-27 from the floor, and 3-for-10 on 3-pointers, after leading the league at 46.8 percent this season – heated up: a 3-pointer, a transition layup from a Thaddeus Young feed, and then a jumper in the final seconds of the first half, drawing the Pacers within 60-50.

The second half began and the Pacers applied more heat. Myles Turner hit a 3, Oladipo fed Sabonis for a dunk, and Bogdanovic hit back-to-back 3-pointers to get the Pacers within 70-68. Early in the fourth Stephenson scored from 15 feet and pick-and-rolled a dunk for Sabonis, and the Pacers led 83-82.

The game stayed closed to the end, but the Cavs usually had the lead and always had the most dominant player in the world, LeBron James, who – when he wasn’t riding the refs during timeouts or steamrolling Stephenson to draw a technical – was scoring and scoring and scoring in the fourth quarter on his way to 32 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

Lance had his moments too, of course, including the time he tried to force a jump ball with Cavs forward Jeff Green with nine seconds left and the Pacers down 103-100, taking Green down and then gator-rolling him several times before Green hopped to his feet in fighting mode as Lance walked off, wondering what all the fuss was about. Green hit the first of two free throws to clinch the victory, and then presumably walked out of the arena in a suit tailored for a man 6 inches shorter.

Apparently that’s the new fashion, unless it’s something else: Another example that the clothes can’t make the man, money can’t buy class, and the Cleveland Cavaliers can kiss our Indiana (rear end).